The Vivids - Mt Radiant / Hangman (7" vinyl)

At last the semi-mythical Vivids single turns up in the afternoon mail, and a corker it is too. They pursue a sound which will be instantly familiar to those who worshipped at the altar of slightly gothy eerie early '80s raincoat rock. Coming in somewhere between early Cure, The Chameleons and Joy Division they create a wonderfully atmospheric sound with cymbal-less drums, throbbing bass and alternately twanging and heavily delayed guitar. They have the same dynamic as The XX in that everything is done along clear simple lines letting the interplay between instruments create tension and atmosphere. Both sides of the 7” are impressive, the B side is a little more 'busy' in its arrangement and is less effective as a result but still edges its way to an impressive crescendo with weird effects on the voice and an overall feeling of space and distance. Very impressive.